leabeddia
Living With Books
The school year has begun. No masks. No class bubbles. There is a tangible exhale of relief that life is back to normal. The students,...
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leabeddia
- Sep 9, 2021
- 2 min
Wanted: Cheerleaders
The thing about writing is, a good idea is not enough. It takes structure, discipline and determination to get that good idea into...
leabeddia
- May 3, 2021
- 1 min
Book Review: The Project
Published: 2021, Wednesday Books Courtney Summers's new release, The Project, explores a relationship between two sisters and a cult....
leabeddia
- Apr 30, 2021
- 3 min
Building a Class Library one Suitcase at a Time.
These resources are indispensable for an English teacher on the lookout for great Canadian Literature
leabeddia
- Mar 19, 2021
- 3 min
It Takes a Village, but Mine is in Quarantine
It remains to be seen, when we walk away from all this, how our youth will adapt to our brave new world.
leabeddia
- Mar 5, 2021
- 3 min
We Don't All Need Band-Aids
We honor people who have been oppressed, objectified or underrepresented because they need the love, kindness, respect, and support.
leabeddia
- Oct 30, 2020
- 3 min
Halloween with a Pre-Teen, and Then Some.
For kids on the cusp of growing out of trick-or-treating, writing to Santa or make-believe, the Covid Pandemic is pushing them over the...
leabeddia
- Aug 29, 2020
- 3 min
My life in Lego Bricks
Almost six months in quarantine + three kids + tonnes of Lego blocks = We all stay sane. My boys and to some extent, my little girl enjoy...
leabeddia
- Apr 13, 2020
- 1 min
So Close
Here is my contribution to a beautiful initiative by the Quebec Writers' Federation called Chronicling the Days where writers tell about...
leabeddia
- Jan 3, 2020
- 1 min
Rewriting is Writing...Again
This summer I finished the first draft of my YA manuscript. I did the research I needed, took the writing classes, joined a writing...
leabeddia
- Aug 4, 2019
- 2 min
Book Review: I Am a Feminist
A few months back, I wrote an entry about a discussion I had with my students about feminism. A lot of them had such a negative reaction...
leabeddia
- Jun 21, 2019
- 2 min
No More Pencils, no More Books...
Today I completed my fifteenth year of teaching. In many ways, teaching teenagers has gotten easier with time. Of course, in other ways,...
leabeddia
- Jun 4, 2019
- 2 min
Book Review: The Agony of Bun O'Keefe or Why a Great Novel is like my Mom's Meatballs.
My mom is the best cook I know. She makes her own bread, pasta and pizza. Everything is from scratch. When I was a kid, she would have...
leabeddia
- Jun 2, 2019
- 4 min
Why YA?
The first novel I read as a teenager was S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. If you've been to high school, you've probably read it. Published...
leabeddia
- May 26, 2019
- 1 min
Book Review: The Marrow Thieves
Métis author, Cherie Dimaline said about her novel The Marrow Thieves that she wanted to write a world where indigenous youth are the...
leabeddia
- May 1, 2019
- 1 min
Book Reviews: "Lost Boy" and "Sister Wife"
Canadian author Shelley Hrdlitschka writes about the fictional polygamist community of Unity. Celeste, defying her father and structure...
leabeddia
- Apr 14, 2019
- 2 min
What's Your Process?
Once a week I attend a writing workshop. It's great. I get feedback on my writing, and get to read some brilliant work created by my...
leabeddia
- Apr 2, 2019
- 4 min
Ten More Reasons to Read to your Kids
We all know reading is a great habit to teach children. There is solid developmental theory to support reading to children from an early...
leabeddia
- Mar 23, 2019
- 2 min
Falling on my Butt: A new Perspective
This winter has been hard. There's so much snow and ice we can't see out our windows. Driving conditions have been dangerous, and the...
leabeddia
- Mar 10, 2019
- 3 min
Who's a Feminist? Three Boys Raise Their Hands
Last week I watched a Nike commercial, entitled Dream Crazier with my students. It is narrated by Serena Williams and highlights how...